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SPORTSTuesday 16 February 2016
All-Star Western Conference’s Russell Westbrook, of the Oklahoma City Thunder, slams dunks during the 2013 because of injuries.
first half of the NBA all-star basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 14, 2016 in Toronto. But players like Westbrook,
Continued on Page 22 Durant and Curry are more
Associated Press than ready to shoulder the
Bryant finished with 10 load.
points, so few that he lost sarily play well. nadian Nelly Furtado sang deserved.” At 37, Bryant has trouble
his career lead in All-Star “We all at one point in our her country’s national an- Toronto hosted the very first keeping up with the young-
scoring to LeBron James. life wanted to be Kobe them. NBA game on Nov. 1, 1946. sters — especially the real
But Westbrook scored 31 in our driveways some- Then it was time for two Neither Naismith nor any- young ones. Chris Paul’s
points in his second straight where,” the East’s Dwyane video tributes for Bryant, one who saw that game son stole the ball from him
All-Star MVP performance Wade said. “We watched whose 18 All-Star selections would recognize the way it as Bryant warmed up for
and Curry added 26 — the him growing up and we are second only to Ka- looked Sunday. the second half.
final three on a 42-footer. wanted to pay respect to reem Abdul-Jabbar. Bryant Curry and Durant launched But he was the star without
Anthony Davis had 24 on him.” thanked his millions of fans shots from spots where only playing a starring a role. He
12-for-13 shooting and Kev- The pregame was a cel- as the other All-Stars lined buzzer-beating heaves had said he didn’t want
in Durant chipped in 23. ebration first of Canada, up in the background to were once attempted, players forcing him the ball
Paul George finished with then of Bryant. salute him. and Westbrook put togeth- in an effort to make him the
41 for the East, tying West- A video message from Dr. “I know it’s been over- er another combination MVP — he’s already got
brook’s total from last year James Naismith, the Ca- whelming for him over this of speed and force that four of them in this game —
in New York that was one nadian who invented bas- year, but our fans across turned it into a rare All-Star but he was never far from
off Wilt Chamberlain’s re- ketball in the early 1890s, the world and here in the blowout in the second half. the center of attention.
cord. John Wall added 22 was followed by player States and here in Toron- The West has won five of The West led 92-90 at the
points. introductions by two-time to, as well, has just been the last six even without break, both teams surpass-
James finished with 13 NBA MVP Steve Nash and paying so much respect,” longtime mainstay Bryant, ing the previous record of
points, just enough to move Grammy winner Drake. Ca- James said. “It’s all well- who hadn’t played since 89 points in a half.
ahead of Bryant for most The game goes back to
ever in the All-Star Game. the U.S. next year, and for
James has 291, while Bry- the first time since 1997
ant, who is retiring after this won’t have Bryant. He
season, leaves with 290. made his All-Star debut in
He checked out with 1:06 New York in 1998, a game
left to cheers and hugs also remembered for Mi-
from his fellow All-Stars chael Jordan’s last with the
who now put up points in Chicago Bulls.
bunches the way Bryant Jordan, now chairman of
did for so long. the Hornets, was on hand
Bryant had seven assists Sunday for a ceremonial
and six rebounds, but shot passing of the All-Star torch
4 for 11 in a game where from Toronto to Charlotte,
there isn’t really much de- the 2017 host.
fense and had never been Paul finished with 14 points
less. The 369 combined and 16 assists and is the
points were 48 more than leader in All-Star assists per
last year’s record, and game.
both clubs blew away the DeMar DeRozan scored 18
previous individual team points for the East and Kyle
record of 163. Lowry had 14 points and
But people just wanted to 10 assists as both Raptors
see Bryant play, not neces- played well in front of their
home crowd.q
Nadal and Ferrer in Rio, not worried by Zika outbreak
STEPHEN WADE Rafael Nadal of Spain gives man in the tournament and campaign of spraying to reply to comments last
AP Sports Writer a press conference at the Rio fellow Spaniard David Fer- pesticides and distribut- week by Spanish swimmer
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Open tennis tournament in Rio rer is No. 2. Both said they ing informational leaflets Mireia Belmonte, a two-
Former No. 1 Rafael Nad- de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, were confident the tourna- with more than 200,000 sol- time Olympic silver medal-
al said Monday he’s not Feb. 15, 2016. ment was doing all it could diers spread out across the ist in London in 2012, who
frightened by the Zika virus to control the mosquitoes country.Brazilian President said she “would not at-
as he prepares in Brazil — Associated Press that spread the virus. Dilma Rousseff has said tend” the Olympics if she
the center of the viral out- The virus is being linked to “we’re at war against the thinks her health is at risk.
break — for this week’s Rio If it happens, it’s bad luck.” birth defects, and preg- mosquito” and she has re- She echoed American
Open tennis tournament Nadal is the top-seeded nant women have been peatedly guaranteed the women’s national soccer
and the city’s Olympics in cautioned not to travel to outbreak will not derail the goalkeeper Hope Solo who
less than six months. the country. Olympics that open Aug. 5. said last week “if the Olym-
Nadal won Olympic gold “I don’t know how serious Ferrer said he’ll wear long pics were today, I would
in the Beijing Olympics, but the situation is,” Nadal said. sleeves and long trousers not go.”
missed London with an in- “I see people living here when he goes out socially Neither Nadal nor Ferrer
jury. totally normally. I see peo- in the morning and eve- elaborated on Belmonte’s
“I’m doing the things the ple on the streets, on the ning. comments.
people have told me,” beach and in the restau- “I’ll try to take those pre- “I have talked to the lo-
Nadal said. “I’m going out rants. Things are going on cautions, but I’m not ob- cal players here, and they
at night. I’m not scared. like normal.” sessed about it,” Ferrer said. are not giving it much im-
I’m not worried about this. Brazil began a week-long Both Spaniards were asked portance,” Ferrer said. q
